McDad

Dad at Store, originally uploaded by jryanpackard.

This picture is actually a composite of two photos. The first is a time delayed exposure of the front counter at one of my Dad's stores, and the second (of him sitting on the counter) was photoshopped in. It was fun (to a certain extent) to watch my father in his stores. They were by far the best run fast food restaurant's you would ever set foot in (and we have boxes full of awards to back up this assertion), and my father was always in control, two steps ahead of everyone else.

My dad retired recently after 30 years at McDonald's during which he worked his way up from cashier to owner/operator of 6 stores in DFW area. I'm mildly surprised he was able to make any money when I was a teenager and my friends and I ate tons of free food. It was weird to go home this past Thanksgiving and not visit the stores that have been a part of my entire life. I was with my Dad for a week and we didn't eat at McDonald's once...easily a family record. You see, every family vacation for 20 years incorporated visiting a new double drive through or trying a new sandwhich you could only get in a certain market or analyzing how some other operator set up his kitchen. Strange that all of that is gone.